


the blind girl

by Fencer13



Series: someday you'll be home (in another world) [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Child Soldiers, Childhood Trauma, Crossover, Gen, Second War with Voldemort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 14:52:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14059356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fencer13/pseuds/Fencer13
Summary: “Stark, Arya,” Professor McGonagall says, her voice ringing through the hall. For a moment, nothing happens; then the girl from earlier steps forward out of the crowd, her back straight, her look proud, almost defiant.Harry watches her attentively, wondering what the Sorting Hat is saying to her.But then the hat announces “GRYFFINDOR”, the Great Hall awash with cheers, and Arya’s expression has not wavered once.***Stark means strong in German, Hermione told Harry once, in the beginning of sixth year, and he supposes that that is exactly what Arya is.Arya Stark becomes a Hogwarts Student in Harry's fifth year. It doesn't really change anything.





	the blind girl

It’s in King’s Cross, in the beginning of fifth year, that Harry first notices her. She’s small, probably a first year, with only one small trunk that has seen better days and an old, battle-worn cat rubbing across her legs, staring at Harry balefully with yellow eyes.

She’s alone, like Harry was, back in first year. Of course, he still doesn't have a family, but he has Ron and Hermione, now. Harry steps towards her, remembering how much he appreciated the Weasleys showing him what to do. She’s staring at the train, aimlessly, clearly lost. It’s the least he can do to help her out.

“Hey, I’m Harry. Harry Potter. And who are you?” The girl flinches, whirling around in direction of his voice, looking for him with cloudy eyes.

“No one!” Her voice is high and slightly panicked. Harry immediately feels like a fool, guilty for having scared her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I only wanted to help-”

Her expression darkens. “I don’t need your help,” she spits, and goes away, picking up her trunk with ease. Her cat hisses at Harry and he is left standing there, looking after her like an idiot.

 

It’s at the Sorting that Harry learns her name.

“Stark, Arya,” Professor McGonagall says, her voice ringing through the hall. For a moment, nothing happens; then the girl from earlier steps forward out of the crowd, her back straight, her look proud, almost defiant.

Her defiance falters some when she takes the first slow, searching steps towards the Sorting Hat. Her face is grim, like a stone, and when her grasping hands find the hat, she sits down, her defiant expression once more back in place.

Harry watches her attentively, wondering what the Sorting Hat is saying to her – does Arya Stark, too, have to make a choice, like Harry did, once?

But then the hat announces “GRYFFINDOR”, the Great Hall awash with cheers, and Arya’s expression has not wavered once.

 

After that, Harry does not spend much time thinking about Arya Stark; he has more important things to think about. He wonders, of course, how a blind girl will fare in class; but then he hears that she snores loudest of them all in History of Magic and is quiet in Transfiguration and so good at Potions that even Snape does not criticize her - or maybe Snape just feels pity for the poor orphan, some suppose, and Harry despairs at their idiocy - and ceases wondering about that, as well.

He might well be the only one in Gryffindor, for the rumour mill is churning out new rumours almost daily: Lavender whispers that she is a foreign princess from a country far away, and Parvati whispers back that no, she’s the last scion of her house, her lover brought her here-

Hermione snorts at that, and wonders whether or not Arya’s cat is actually a familiar; it almost seems like Arya can see, when she’s around, and she does have those awfully intelligent eyes.

The Quidditch team calls all of the rumours ridiculous and debates whether or not Arya was raised by wolves; Angelina heard her snarl, the other day, after all.

Neville is convinced that she’s killed people. Lots of people are – there’s even the rumour that she killed her entire family, and the gossip her roommates spread is not helping. They say that Arya has sharpened one end of her wand and goes through different exercises with it every day, that she recites a list of names or titles before she falls asleep, that she has nightmares often-

However, there is only one rumour that interests him, and it’s the one the Weasley twins tell him.

They drop down on the bench opposite him one day. Fred asks him if he’s heard, and when Harry says no, Fred tells him all about it. Arya, he says, blew up at Umbridge today. It’s impressive, because Arya never seems to show any emotion aside from annoyance or anger, she’s amazingly stoic for her age, and the fact that she blew up at Umbridge does endear her to Harry, somewhat.

She called Umbridge a craven, Fred says gleefully, said it right to her face – said she’s known scarier people, but few that disgust her as much, isn’t that amazing, Harry?

Harry nods and then invites Arya to the DA.

 

Arya is one of the only first years in the meeting; still, no one is surprised – news of her confrontation with Umbridge has spread quickly, and everyone knows that the little girl is as violent as they come. Harry is relieved when Arya remains quiet, and behaves well. It’s only after the meeting ends that Arya comes to Harry, fixating her milky eyes on the wall slightly to his left, her gaze astoundingly intense, asking him when they will learn the spells that kill.

He says they never will, because refusing to kill is what makes them better than the people they’re fighting. She calls him a fool, tells him that wars can only be won through killing, and goes away. It’s the last time she goes to a meeting of the DA.

 

The day after Marietta’s betrayal, Arya storms up to Harry his friends, demanding if that’s all they’re going to do to the filthy craven traitor. Hermione looks up, and calmly says that Marietta has been punished enough, she was in a difficult situation after all, and what would a first year know about betrayal, anyway?

Arya looks at Hermione with a cold fury, and says, enunciating overly clearly:

“My father was betrayed, and killed. My brother went to avenge him, got betrayed, and killed. My mother, my brothers – they all got betrayed, and killed.”

Hermione turns pale, but presses forward bravely, saying that surely if avenging betrayal was what got her brother killed, maybe Arya should learn from that, learn that blood isn’t always the answer-

Arya’s wand is pressed against Hermione’s throat before Hermione can utter another word.

Harry observes that apparently, she does sharpen her wand, but also that whoever thinks she killed her family is a bloody fool.

“First lesson: stick them with the pointy end,” Arya says, her mouth twisted into a terrible smile. “That’s what my brother taught me, and that’s what I’ll do with the murderers of my family.” She looks like she’s going to say something else, but doesn’t, lowering her wand and going away. She stumbles, hand flying out to steady herself – in that moment, she looks as young as she really is, and Harry is left wondering about her past.

 

In that year, he only speaks to her one more time. It’s after Sirius dies, after Harry gets him killed, and he’s in the infirmary, pretending to sleep. He doesn’t hear her approach, her steps as silent as those of a cat.

“I’m sorry about your uncle,” she says, loudly, as if she was afraid of the silence. “Even if it’s your fault he’s dead.”

 

In sixth year, he hardly notices her. She’s quiet, more stoic than ever, and he wonders what she did over summer break. But Dumbledore is telling him all about Voldemort, which he’s waited for so long, and the war is more important than one single child anyway.

 

He sees her in battle, after Dumbledore's death, when the Death Eaters come to Hogwarts, and she is as ferocious as a wolf, her wand bloody in her hand. Harry chases past her, chases after Malfoy, after Snape, and she is merciless behind him.

 

At Dumbledore’s funeral, she sits quietly in the back. Her milky eyes are unfocused, looking towards something in the past, and a quiet regret is painted on her stony face.

 

He sees her next when he returns to Hogwarts to find the Horcrux. She’s in the Room of Requirement as well, though she does not greet him, preferring to sit alone in the shadows, her face as hostile as ever, stroking her cat, who is called Nymeria.

 

After the battle, when both sides are counting their dead and Harry has been given an ultimatum, he sees her in the Great Hall, where the dead are laid out. She is sitting next to Lavender’s corpse, which is curiously clean of blood, curiously tidy, almost. Harry’s heard she saved a lot of people in the battle, but she is sitting curled up, hugging her knees, a bloody rag clutched in her hand, and as he comes closer, he can tell that she is crying. He does not ask why, and she remains silent as well. It is just when he turns to leave that she speaks.

“You’re going to the Forbidden Forest, to speak with Voldemort.” It is a statement, not a question. He still answers, not knowing what use a lie could possibly be.

“Yes.”

Arya smiles bitterly. “Go. Go on. Save your family. It’s not all of us that can.”

Harry wonders about her words even as he returns her grim smile. “Yeah. Goodbye, Arya. It’s been a pleasure.”

The blind girl tilts her head. “Lie. And yet, truth.” She pauses. “Goodbye, Harry. Try to live up to your name.”

 

It’s some months after the final battle. Harry and the others have spent the summer rebuilding Hogwarts together with so many others, and now he will maybe be able to step foot inside the school without thinking of blood and death and lost friends and a small girl who is not his friend.

They are strolling through Hogsmeade the day before their eighth year starts when he sees Arya for what will be the last time, standing next to a man with red and white hair.

He’s thought of Arya and what she said a lot, during this past summer. This small hostile girl with the cloudy eyes and the bloody smile, who has killed too many people already – who is she?

 

Stark means strong in German, Hermione told Harry once, in the beginning of sixth year, and he supposes that that is exactly what Arya is.

 

In the end, it isn’t really important. He has his whole life to celebrate and be happy with his friends, who have made him part of their family. The sun is shining and the war is over; he can hear Ron laughing and Hermione calling his name.

Harry turns to his friends, looking back one more time, towards Arya, who is made even smaller by the man standing next to her. And then, when his eyes meet Arya’s clear eyes – their powerful gaze – she seems almost jealous, a bit sad.

Smiling lightly, Harry answers to one of Hermione’s questions.

He glances back, but Arya is gone.


End file.
